Italian Sunsets
by rgs38
Summary: A tragedy strikes Spike's life but, with the help of the team, he's never alone. Hard to describe without giving away. One-shot.


Italian Sunsets

_This idea has been bugging me for a long time and people are gonna hate me but I needed to get it out before I wrote anything else. It's set sometime after Season 4 but before the end of Season 5 I guess and, for the record, all the non-English parts are google translate. I'm hoping to write some Season 5 stories at some point but first I need to re-watch the season so we'll see when I get around to that one. For now, here's a one-shot. Just another reminder that I don't own Flashpoint._

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"SRU..." Winnie answered another phone call as she smiled at the guys. It was early, barely 6 AM, but Team One was starting their pre-shift work out and the phones were already ringing off the hooks. Winnie sifted through the calls with ease, redirecting the non-urgent ones, deciding which cases seemed to warrant the SRU's immediate intervention. "Team Four: Hot Call..." She continued on with the details she was getting about the hostage crisis in progress but Team One tuned it out, not wanting to start their day just yet.

"Keep moving Samo, just because you're turning into a girl doesn't mean that we need to watch talk shows." Spike verbally jabbed him from the treadmill eliciting a harsh glare from his friend.

"Just because I get some new shampoo does _not_ mean that I'm turning into a girl, _Mike._" Sam jabbed back, using Spike's real name and turning to a sports channel.

"You continue to think that my friend but your shampoo smells like a flower. That's just not right." Ed shook his head as he finished his set on the bench press and sat up.

"I'm not saying I agree or disagree here but I do have something to add to this conversation," Ed said as he stood up and moved between Sam and Spike. "Less girl talk, more work out." He said with a smile as Sam and Spike both seriously started their work out. It wasn't more than five minutes before Jules and Leah joined them and Greg popped his head out of the briefing room, already uniformed and working on finishing up some of the paperwork from the day prior. The team was well into their workout, Winnie still seamlessly fielding calls before one seemed to stump her.

"Ma'am...ma'am you need to slow down...I...I can't understand you...ma'am..." Ed's attention perked at Winnie's seeming struggles; 911 calls didn't get routed to SRU unless they knew about them from the operator.

"Winnie?" Ed got her attention and gave her an inquisitive look. She hesitated for a moment before looking at the team.

"Spike...I'm pretty sure she's speaking Italian..." Winnie handed him a phone and saw his face tense before he even started speaking.

"Zia Giovanna?" He paused for a moment "cosa c'è di sbagliato?" Spike's face fell as Winnie subtly motioned for Ed to come over.

"Cosa?" Spike spoke into the phone as his breath seemed to hitch. His back was to Ed and Winnie as they silently communicated.

_"Mom?" _Ed mouthed as Winnie shook her head. Spike's mother didn't speak great English but she at least knew enough to ask for her son. Plus, with the time difference between Italy and Toronto, Spike had taught his mom how to e-mail so they could set up times to talk when he wasn't on shift. The woman on the other end of the line seemed to talk for a while, Ed could hear that she was speaking quickly, almost hysterically, but didn't want to get too close and invade Spike's privacy (not that he could understand a word of their conversation). He was worried though, Spike's face had frozen; there was no emotion, his eyes were glazed over, it was like his mind was gone.

"Ti chiamo dopo. Ho bisogno di ... Ho bisogno di capire alcune cose ... ciao." He spoke almost mechanically, especially since he usually spoke Italian with such animation. He reached behind the desk to hang up the phone and walked down the hallway of the SRU without even looking back at the team.

"Spike, buddy?" Ed said as he slowly walked behind him. As they passed the briefing room Greg looked up and Ed motioned for him to follow. Spike didn't even glance behind him as he went into the locker room and let the door slam, Ed and Greg were close behind. They quietly entered the locker room and found Spike, still with his back to them but with his hands running through his hair and his breathing a bit rapid.

"Spike, talk to us here. You got a call from a relative in Italy?" Ed prodded a bit, wanting to get Spike talking and catch Greg up at the same time. After a few moments he added, "You seem pretty shaken now, is everything okay?" Spike still didn't respond as Greg moved a few paces closer.

"Spike..." He said very softly as he moved within arm's reach and placed a gentle hand on the young man's shoulder. He turned him ever so slightly, just enough so that he could see the tears running from his young tech's eyes and the quiver in his lip. "Oh Spike," Greg said again as he pulled him into a hug, not yet sure what the exact circumstances were but assuming the worst. They stood for a few minutes in that embrace, Greg holding Spike against his shoulder but Spike refusing to open his mouth, trying hard not to shed any more tears and breath. After a solid ten minutes Greg straightened and looked Spike in the eye. His concern was evident in his soft features as he subtly motioned for them to sit on one of the benches. Ed had remained standing by the door, partially because he didn't know where he best fit in this situation and partially to stop anyone from coming into the room.

"Spike, what happened?" Greg asked softly, almost in a whisper. Spike stared at the ground seemingly holding his breath for fear of letting more tears escape. He felt like if he opened his mouth, tried to say it out loud, that he would break down and completely lose the little composure he had left. "Spike," Greg started again softly. "I promise you, it's okay to let it out. You know I don't make promises I don't keep, Spike." He stressed as he leaned forward. "And I'm promising you that it's okay to cry." Though Ed wasn't sure what Greg was seeing in their tech, he assumed it was something bad if he was already prepping him, allowing him to be emotional. Spike held strong for a few more moments before letting his shoulders sag and moving his hands to his face.

"They...they don't know what happened. They think it was a heart attack...in her sleep...she was...she was fine two...two days ago when I...when I called..." His breathing was getting shallower as his hands shook and his sentences came in fragments. Greg put his arm around Spike and pulled him into another hug as the young man openly sobbed now. "I...I just...talked to her...we were...making plans...for...for Christmas...She was...was going...was going to..."

"Shhh," Greg gently hushed the need for explanation. "I'm so sorry, Spike." He whispered as he gently rocked him on the bench and whispered soothing assurances in his ear. Greg was brought back to the death of his mother in that moment and just how helpless and lonely he felt, he needed to make sure that Spike would not feel that. It felt like the world was revolving around just the two of them, the gentle tones and the anguished tears, time seemed to simultaneously crawl and flash by but before Greg knew it, Spike was sitting up and wiping his eyes.

"I'm sorry, boss." He said softly, still a hitch in his voice as if he could break down again at any moment. "This is pretty unprofessional...god I was just making fun of Sam for having girly shampoo and here I am..." Greg moved forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, cutting him off.

"Stop that, Spike. Don't even think about work right now and don't worry about this. I'm glad you're not bottling it up." Greg said honestly. He felt that Spike was moving beyond the initial shock and grief of finding out that his mother had died and was moving into a new phase. "Spike, I'm sure you've got a lot on your mind right now and a lot to do, what do you say I take you home and we get some things in order. Did you want to try and fly out tonight because we might want to call the airport..." Greg prodded, trying to keep Spike's mind on task before he could fall back into the overwhelming sadness. He knew that there was a lot to be done and he knew that Spike would regret it if he waited the night to get a flight.

"Yeah...yeah, I need to get to Rome as soon as possible..." The statement almost seemed to strike him, as if he didn't realize that an ocean separated the continents.

"I know, Spike. Why don't I drive you home and help you sort some things out with the flight and with the arraignments and then I'll drive you to the airport?" Greg asked again, patient as always.

"We're on shift...I can't leave and you sure as hell can't leave." Spike said with raised eyebrows, his eyes still red and his face a bit swollen from crying but his expressions returning slightly.

"Consider you two no longer on shift." Ed said authoritatively. He was always a man of action. Greg could console people as much as they wanted, sit in silence with them and instantly know what they were thinking and feeling, Ed was more of a do-er. Give him something to do in a time of need and he was there and he finally felt like he could be useful in his own way to Spike. "I'm gonna call Donna and Jimmy to cover, tell Winnie to take us off calls right now barring an emergency and fill in Hollaran. You guys do what you need to do." Ed said, waiting for final approval from Greg.

"Sounds good, Eddie." He said with a grateful nod. Ed returned the nod and went to turn around before softening a bit.

"And Spike, I'm really sorry buddy. Call me with anything and you know I'll help in whatever way I can. Anytime, alright?" Ed said seriously and waited for Spike to nod before leaving the locker room. He wasn't surprised to run into Sam, Jules, and Leah sitting on a bench in the hallway. He was a little surprised to see one of the male members of Team Four come out of the female locker room. Ed gave his three teammates a questioning look as Jules smiled.

"We wouldn't let anyone into the guys locker room but poor Randy was on the rooftop of a building for three hours in the snow on their last call. We let him take a hot shower to warm up." Ed smiled and shook his head, he should have known that the rest of the team would have Spike's back even if they didn't know the situation.

"Is something wrong with his mom?" Sam asked quietly. They had been itching to find out what was going on after such odd reactions from Spike and Ed but they didn't want to barge into the locker room. Ed nodded.

"She died last night, probable heart attack. He's pretty torn up, gonna fly out as soon as he gets some things in order." Ed explained quickly. "Once they're done I want you guys suited up just incase. I'm gonna call in some back up, Sarge and Spike are done for the day." They all nodded and went back to waiting as Ed went off to figure out how they were going to get through the rest of the shift. It was only a few more minutes before Greg and Spike emerged from the locker room. Spike had obviously just washed his face and had attempted to plaster on a smile but the rest of the team surrounded him as he came into the hall. They each gave Spike a hug and expressed their condolences but backed off at Greg's subtle signaling that it was time for them to go.

Greg had taken Spike's duffel bag and car keys from him in the locker room and Spike didn't protest when Greg got into the drivers seat of his truck. They both knew that he was in no state to drive and Greg was glad that he didn't have to fight for it. Things seemed to happen in a blur as they got to Spike's apartment and he began to pack a bag. Greg was on the phone with an airline trying to get a flight for Spike that night and his ticket was booked before Spike finished changing.

"You're all set to fly out at eight tonight. You're gonna be kinda jet lagged but make sure to try and sleep on the plane." Greg said as he handed Spike a piece of paper with his ticket number and motioned for him to sit down. "So you got everything you're going to need?" Greg said vaguely.

"Yeah, I think so." Spike said slightly flatly. "I've got enough clothes for a week and all the information on the funeral home here..." Greg could see Spike flexing his hands into fists, obviously frustrated.

"What's going on, Spike? What are you thinking?" He prodded a bit.

"Nothing," He said almost too quickly before adding, "...it's irrational."

"Emotions aren't always rational, Spike but it doesn't mean that they aren't real." Greg placated, trying to get him to open up.

"I'm just...I'm so mad at everything." He closed his mouth and Greg could tell that he was trying to hold back the overriding emotion again but he didn't have to push this time. "I'm so mad that I have to figure out where to...where to bury her. Next to my dad here? Next to her parents over there? I need to appease so many people with that choice and I don't want that responsibility. And I'm so angry at myself for letting her move, I should have taken care of her!" He almost shouted the last part. "This is exactly what my dad was worried about, exactly why he wanted me to quit. He didn't want her to die alone and afraid and that's exactly what happened." He was somewhere between shouting and crying now as Greg nodded, trying to show that he was listening and understood. Spike was breathing heavily as Greg leaned towards him a bit where they sat.

"Can I say something, Spike?" He asked. He knew that it was going to be hard to reason with Spike when his emotions were so raw but he had to try. Spike nodded and Greg continued softly. "I get that you're angry and I know how hard it is to have so much responsibility after a very emotional death, you've got a lot of different hats to wear over the next few days but know these two things: You can't satisfy everyone Spike. You're one of those people who needs to be okay with the decisions made and some people might disagree but you need to do what's best for you." Greg said strongly as Spike took a breath. He really just wanted someone to tell him that, to tell him that he was able to selfishly make that choice and not bow to filial pressure.

"What's the other thing?" Spike asked after a moment, waiting for the second point Greg wanted to make. He hesitated only slightly before smiling.

"You are the absolute best son anyone could ever ask for and you don't have to blame yourself for what's happened." Greg paused and let that settle with Spike before continuing. "You remember when you started with the SRU, how your mom used to come in and surprise you with lunch every so often and bring cookies for the team?" Greg asked as Spike nodded, the memories welling up. "Well, one afternoon maybe a month after you started, your mom pulled me aside. You were bragging about her cookies to the guys and you didn't even realize that she'd approached me and we talked for a bit about you."

"What did she say?" Spike asked, hanging on every word. Greg smiled sadly.

"She said that her Michelangelo was a special boy. She and your father never expected you to become a police officer and that they worried about your safety but that they could never be more proud of you. She told me that you were a good boy, even if a bit eccentric, and to watch out for you." Greg smiled again at Spike as new tears came to his eyes. "Spike, I promised your mother that I would always watch out for you and that I'd try to keep you safe and I still uphold that promise. She might have been nervous for your safety but she loved you and she knew that you loved her more than anything. She was not afraid and alone, do you hear me?" Greg asked as Spike nodded. "I know that this is so soon after your father's passing and I can only imagine how hard this is for you but I'm gonna help you through it and the team and I will always be there for you."

And they were. Greg sat with Spike at his small kitchen table working through all the arraignments, just as he had when Spike's father had died and his mother was too inconsolable to get out of bed. And Greg forced him to eat something, even though he insisted he wasn't hungry and he drove him to the airport and called two days later reminding Spike that it was okay for him to be upset and show his emotions.

And when Spike finally returned home and when it was time for him to put on his suit and host the rest of the mourning masses, the team was there for him. Jules and Leah made sure that his apartment was clean and that there was food to eat. Sam watched after the children and entertained them with board games and stories when they became restless. Ed became Great Aunt Louise's personal assistant for the day and dragged around her oxygen tank and toy poodle, with a smile to boot. Greg was the constant support at Spike's shoulder. He knew exactly when to head some crying relative off and try to soothe their pain and exactly when to call Spike into the kitchen under the guise of a question but really just to give him a moment alone. He knew when it was time for more food to be brought out and when it was time to start wrapping things up with the hope that people would begin to take their leave.

In some of Spike's clearer moments, he realized that Greg must have known this all too well from far too much experience but he didn't let on. It just seemed like another natural role for him to take on: a negotiator consoling the distraught, a friend helping another, a boss giving direction to an employee, a father guiding his son. But then the entire team supported Spike each and every day...his family supported him each and every day.

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_So I thought the beginning of this through a lot (the phone call really) but nothing else, so this was also kind of just a free-written piece. Not my best but I just really wanted to look at this situation. Didn't get into the guilt as much as I wanted but I really like the Greg and Spike relationship that emerged so please just let me know what you think with a review. :)_


End file.
